Partial support is requested for the 38th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America. This meeting will bring together experts among the educators, practitioners and researchers from various biomedical areas of gerontology. It provides an ideal forum to present and discuss topics which span topics with impact on all sections of society. The emphasis of three symposia represents an attempt to provide "State of the Art" information on critical concerns in gerontology, namely Alzheimer's Disease, Nutrition and Longevity, and Neuroendocrine Changes with Age. In addition to these cross-sectional symposia, five other symposia are focused on major areas of fundamental biomedical researchers and their applied aspects. The areas emphasized this year are: Immunology, Cell Senescence, Free Radicals and Human Disease, Determinants of Longevity, and Chromosome Damage and Repair. The participants in the symposia represent a balance of expertise from within our society and "non-members". The proposed experts can familiarize gerontologists with new research probes, review the research presented from a specialist's vantage, and provide cross-fertilization of ideas. The symposia should serve as an attraction to bring participants to those sessions, provide an overview and focus to that area and give orientation to the volunteer paper and poster presentations which have received positive review. Abstracts will be published in a special issue of the Gerontologist. The topics to be emphasized are: diet and longevity, Alzheimer's Disease, neuroendocrine system, aging and immunology, free radicals and disease, determinants of aging, cellular senescent probes, and mutation, chromosomal aberration and repair.